Robert Barclay (statistician)


Robert Steven Barclay FRSE was a Scottish statistician, noted as a scholar of Orkney.

Life

Barclay was born at Hurkisgarth, in Sandwick, on the Mainland of Orkney, to Margaret and Charles Noble Barclay. He was educated at Oxtro School, in Birsay, George Heriot's School, in Edinburgh, and the University of Edinburgh.
Barclay served as an Ordinary Seaman in the Merchant Service from 1929-33. During World War II he served as Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve.
In 1949, he married Anne Moodie. In the same year, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were William O. Kermack, Alexander Aitken, Frank Fraser Darling, James G. Kydd and J. B. de Winton Moloney. From 1949 to 1969 he was on the staff of Register House, Edinburgh.
Barclay died in Edinburgh on 20 March 1973.